All across the internet people are rubbing beef fat on their faces. What is beef tallow and why is it so viral? Beef tallow has been dubbed "nature's botox" and people have been using it in an attempt to harness its supposed anti-aging benefits. However, is it accurate? Dermatologists are weighing in on the debate.
What Is Beef Tallow?
Beef tallow, simply put is beef fat. If you want the specifics, it is the fat from around the animal's kidneys. It is commonly used in cooking and even in making soaps and candles. Also, it has been known to be the reason that McDonald's fries have that perfect golden crispy coating.
However now it seems to have found another use. People are now putting beef fat on their faces. All across TikTok and various social media platforms people are touting beef fat as a miracle for skincare. One TikTok user claimed that "Beef tallow is nature's botox."
@kimsdailydeals Beef tallow is natures botox! @Cattle Creek Mercantile #beeftallow #tallowbalm #cattlecreekmercantile #allnaturalskincare #natural #skincare #skincareroutine #beeftallowskincare #tallowbutter #whippedbodybutter #selfcare #selflove #tiktokmademebuyit #falldealsforyou
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She wrote a note on the video explaining her experiene with beef tallow. The note read, "POV when you find out women beauty products are filled with toxic chemicals. So you made the switch to beef fat for everything & your skin has cleared up in less than a week!"
Should People Rub Beef Fat On Their Faces?
With good news stories like that circulating the web it got a lot of people to join in on the beef tallow fun. However dermatologists are cautioning people against rubbing beef fat on their faces. The NY Post shares that "The drug in Botox injections is made from the same toxin that causes a type of food poisoning called botulism."
Additionally, the Mayo Clinic calls this toxin the "miracle poison" and argues that it is "one of the most poisonous biological substances known." Why does this matter when it comes to beef fat? It matters because a study from the National Institutes of Health shared that this "Botulinum toxin" is a "neurotoxin produced by the bacterium Clostridium botulinum" and it is commonly found on "plants, in soil, water, and the intestinal tracts of animals."
So while it is not a given or a guarantee that the beef fat people are rubbing on their faces contains this toxin it is a possibility. Furthermore, dermatologists are weighing in on making the swap from common moisturizers to beef tallow.
Caren Campbell MD, a board certified dermatologist argued that it was not an "apples-for-apples swap." A registered pharmacist weighed in as well arguing, "No one who understands the chemistry of ingredients or the biology of the skin would ever say tallow is even remotely as effective or functional a skin-care ingredient as retinol."
So should people be rubbing beef fat on their faces...it depends on who you ask!
